This invention relates to the use of compounds found in, or prepared or extracted from plant sources in the fabrication of a pharmaceutically active material for enhancing the immune system and particularly, but not exclusively, restoring compromised immune systems.
Insulin-dependent mellitus (IDDM) is a form of diabetes in which the patient's glucose metabolism can only be controlled by injection of insulin from two to four times a day as a permanent ongoing medication. Some diabetics are known to have a compromised immune system and tend to be more susceptible to disease than non-diabetics. Because of their weak conditions it is important to be able to restore the immune system to "normal" activity to fight or prevent disease and ensure patient well being.
Certain remedies have been proposed to support the immune systems such as antibiotics, but their use is not widespread, nor successful, they are just supportive.
The present invention, however, in one aspect sets out to provide such a material of vegetable origin and based on the plant Cyperus rotundus Linn which is a pantropic species grown in some oriental countries and also widely occurring as a weed, the English name of which is "Nut Grass", and the French "Souchet frond". It is a glabrous slender sedge, with an elongate underground stem, filiform with ovate-oblong tubers. The culms are slender, triquetous, 60-150 cm-tall, and densely leafy at the base. The rays of the umbels vary from 3 to 9; they are unequal and may be simple or branching.
The plant has an elaborate underground system of stolons, tubers and roots. The tubers (with which this invention is primarily concerned, and which are also referred to herein as rhizomes) are succulent and white when young but when mature turn black.
It is well known to use the tubers for a wide range of medicinal purposes. Thus, the roots have been reported as being emmenagogue, sedative, antispasmodic, demulcent and hemostatic. Uterine disorders (amenorrhea, menorrhagia) and childbrith problems are also counteracted. It is stated moreover to be tonic, stomachic, expectorant, diuretic, antifebrile, decongestant and antirheumatic, among a long list of other qualities, and to relieve headaches or external pains, e.g. toothaches, whitlows. Hitherto, however, this well documented and ancient remedy has not been suggested as, or in, a food or medicine active for enhancing the immune system or for restoring a compromised immune system.
In one aspect the invention consists in the use of a material found in, or extracted or prepared from the plant Cyperus rotundus Linn in the preparation of a medicine or foodstuff for the treatment of patients having a compromised immune system, and of patients having insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Preferably, the material is an ingestible powder, and most preferably it is prepared by drying and grinding tubers of the plant, especially the mature tubers.
The dried powder material itself is active in enhancing the immune system, and in accordance with the invention it is used always in the preparation of the medicine or foodstuff together with a proportion (preferably a minor proportion) of the dried and powdered gum of Pistacia lentiscus Linn which is used as a flavour enhancer only.
Another aspect of the invention consists in the use of the extracted violatile oil component of the tubers of Cyperus rotundus Linn in the preparation of a pharmaceutically active material for the treatment of deficient immune systems.
Preferably the extraction is carried out by steam distillation of the tubers in a known procedure, yielding up to 2% of a violatile oil. Extract compounds vary with the origin and subspecies of the Cyperus rotundus, but the oil appears to be essentially a mixture of 10, 20 or more terpenoids, among which have been identified a sesquiterpene known x-cyperone (up to 50%) and significant amounts of cyperene, a tricyclic sesquiterpend (C.sub.15 H.sub.24) and cyperol, a tricyclic alcohol, C.sub.15 H.sub.24 O.
Another aspect of the invention consists in a method of treatment of deficient immune systems consisting of orally administering a pharmaceutically effective amount of a compound having at least one terpenoid found in the plant Cyperus rotundus Linn.
While it is possible for the composition defined above or, where appropriate pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof (hereinafter referred to as the "active compounds") to be administered as the raw chemical it is preferred that the active compound is presented in the form of a pharmaceutical composition.
In a further aspect of the invention there is therefore provided a pharmaceutical formulation comprising the active compound together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier therefor. The carrier must be "acceptable" in the sense of being compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation and not deleterious to the receipient thereof. Such carriers are solid, liquid or gaseous materials recommended for the purpose of administering the medicament.
These pharmaceutical compositions may be administered orally or parenterally (including subsutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous injection) or as a suppository or pessary. It is preferred that the compositions are administered orally. The terms formulation and composition are used synonomously.
For oral administration the pharmaceutical compositions may be presented as a draught in water or in a syrup, in capsules, cachets, boluses or tablets, as an aqueous or oleaginous solution or suspension or in suspension in a syrup, such suspension optionally including suspending agents or as an oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion. Where desirable or necessary flavouring, sweetening, preserving, thickening or emulsifying agents may be included in the formulation.
Tablets may contain the active compound as a powder or granules optionally mixed with binders, lubricants, inert diluents or surface-active or dispensing which are useful in such formulations.
All the above formulations are produced by processes which comprise bringing into association the active compound and one or more carriers.